Research Interest

This programme focuses on how immersive virtual reality can be used to study issues in psychology and neuroscience. A specific interest is how the brain represents the body. In virtual reality it is possible to substitute a person’s body by a life-sized virtual one that moves correspondingly with the movements of the person. This gives rise to an illusion of ownership over the body. A particular interest is the consequences of body ownership for attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Also, the applications of Virtual Reality for the assessment and treatment of psychopathological disorders and other health conditions.

Furthermore, this programme aims to study identity processes, cognitive conflicts, and their role in the change process using methods such as textual or content analysis and the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT), a technique with which we can identify conflicts in the cognitive structure of interviewees. These conflicts (or dilemmas) often become a hindrance for personal development or progress either in life or in psychotherapy.

Technologies & Methods

• Repertory grid technique
• Virtual reality
• Routine outcome monitoring
• EYME-Explore Your Meanings
• Bayesian statistics
• Computer graphics
• Computer vision
• Machine Learning
• Sentiment Analysis

Featured Projects

• • ALCO-VR: Virtual Reality-based protocol for the treatment of patients diagnosed with severe alcohol use disorder. Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad. 2016I078. Jose Gutierrez-Maldonado

• • Modification of attentional bias, with virtual reality, for improving anorexia nervosa treatment. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Project PID2019-108657RB-I00. Jose Gutierrez-Maldonado

• • Self Conversation in Virtual Reality Embodiment to Enhance Healthier Lifestyles Among Obese People. Through Virtual Bodyworks S.L. 308571. H2020-EU.2.1.1., Grant Agreement – 951930. Mel Slater

• • Contextualising psychosocial wellbeing and mental health within sociocultural dynamics (PSYCHOCONTEXT). European Union. 654808. Guillem Feixas

• • Development of virtual reality-based exposure techniques for improving anorexia nervosa treatment. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. PSI2015-70389-R. Jose Gutierrez-Maldonado

• • Grup d’investigació sobre aplicaciones de realitat virtual i altres noves tecnologies en psicologia clínica i de la salut (VR-PSY Lab). Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca. 2017SGR1693. Jose Gutierrez-Maldonado

• • Identidad Personal y Cambio en Procesos Sociales. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. EUIN2017-88733. Guillem Feixas

• • Immersive Virtual Reality Cognitive Treatment (VRCT) for persecutory delusions. Medical Research Council. HQR00930 (MR/PO2629X/1). Mel Slater

• • Moments in Time in Immersive Virtual Environments (MoTIVE). European Union. ERC-2016-ADG- 742989. Mel Slater

• • Psychotherapy for young adults with mild-to-moderate depression: Does virtual reality increase its efficacy? Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. RTI2018-094294-B-I00. Guillem Feixas

• • Significados personales, identidad y procesos de cambio. Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad. EIN2019-103060. Guillem Feixas

Featured Publications

• • Porras-Garcia, B., Ferrer-Garcia, M., Serrano-Troncoso, E., Carulla-Roig, M., Soto-Usera, P., Miquel-Nabau, H., … & Gutiérrez-Maldonado, J. (2021). AN-VR-BE. A Randomized Controlled Trial for Reducing Fear of Gaining Weight and Other Eating Disorder Symptoms in Anorexia Nervosa through Virtual Reality-Based Body Exposure. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(4), 682.

• • Neyret, S., Navarro, X., Beacco, A., Oliva, R., Bourdin, P., Valenzuela, J., Barberia, I., & Slater, M. (2020). An Embodied Perspective as a Victim of Sexual Harassment in Virtual Reality Reduces Action Conformity in a Later Milgram Obedience Scenario. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 6207. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62932-w

• • Moggia, D., Lutz, W., Arndt, A., & Feixas, G. (2020). Patterns of change and their relationship to outcome and follow-up in group and individual psychotherapy for depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(8), 757–773. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000562

• • Banakou, D., Beacco, A., Neyret, S., Blasco-Oliver, M., Seinfeld, S., & Slater, M. (2020). Virtual body ownership and its consequences for implicit racial bias are dependent on social context. Royal Society Open Science, 7(12), 201848. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201848

• • Slater, M., Neyret, S., Johnston, T., Iruretagoyena, G., de la Campa Crespo, M. A., Alabernia-Segura, M., Spanlang, B., & Feixas, G. (2019). An experimental study of a virtual reality counselling paradigm using embodied self-dialogue. Scientific Reports, 9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46877-3

• • Feixas, G., Bados, A., García-Grau, E., Paz, C., Montesano, A., Compañ, V., Salla, M., Aguilera, M., Trujillo, A., Cañete, J., Medeiros-Ferreira, L., Soriano, J., Ibarra, M., Medina, J. C., Ortíz, E., & Lana, F. (2016). A dilemma-focused intervention for depression: a multicenter, randomized controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up. Depression and Anxiety, 33(9), 862–869. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22510

• • Gutiérrez-Maldonado, J., Wiederhold, B. K., & Riva, G. (2016). Future Directions: How Virtual Reality Can Further Improve the Assessment and Treatment of Eating Disorders and Obesity. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 19(2), 148–153

Knowledge transfer & Innovation

• • Evaluación del cambio terapéutico de los pacientes con TCA tratados con el modelo ITA. ITA Clinic BCN, S.L. 309562. Guillem Feixas

• • GRID CONSULTOR (GRIDCON): A 3D Tool for the Exploration of Professional Identity in Health Organizations. Ajuts Llavor, Agaur, Generalitat de Catalunya, FEDER. 600243. Guillem Feixas

• • Methods and systems for gradual exposure to a fear. UBTT0345

• • Mind and Identity SL, UB spin-off. Guillem Feixas. eyme-vr.com

• • Motor training AVCRI263-E

• • Physiological response AVCRI264-E

• • Virtual Bodyworks. Mel Slater. www.virtualbodyworks.com